University of Illinois Announces Free Tuition for Some In-State Students

University of Illinois announced Monday a new program that offers free tuition for qualifying in-state students.

Beginning with the 2019 incoming class, the university said the new program will offer families with incomes of $61,000 or less the four-year tuition coverage.

In addition to the family’s income, recipients must be an Illinois resident, admitted as a new freshman or transfer student, be under the age of 24 and have less than $50,000 in family assets.

The program will cover the full cost of tuition and campus fees for up to four years. It does not, however, cover room and board, fees related to specific courses, summer and winter classes, study abroad, books and other charges.

The university said the move is part of their “mission as a land-grant institution.”

State residence is an important caveat for land grant institutions. The idea behind these initial land grants was to educate the state’s working populace. State residents are far more likely to be a part of that than out of state students, both domestic and international.